A CNC machine is a computer numerical controlled machine tool. The CNC machine is used to process a material or a part known as “the work.” The CNC machine comprises a translation stage to which the work is fixed. The translation stage is translatable along an X-axis and a Y-axis. Typically, the X- and Y-axes define a substantially horizontal plane, but other translation orientations are possible. The CNC machine further comprises at least one tool mount that is independent of the translation stage to which the work is fixed. The tool mount is translatable along the X, Y, and Z axes and can be translated in conjunction with, or independent from, the translation stage.
Before the work can be processed by the CNC machine, a detailed lateral measurement of the work must be made and entered into the CNC machine. In the prior art, measurement is performed using a mechanical gauge. The measurement typically comprises about 100 data points and takes almost one minute. By comparison, the actual processing of the work, after the measurement, takes only about 15 seconds. If the CNC machine translation stage does not comprise a mounting system that inherently squares up the work to the translation stage, it is desirable to account for skew in the mounting of the work with respect to the coordinate system of the CNC machine so that the work is accurately processed. Manually accounting for skew in the mounting of the work to the translation stage takes additional time in measurement and entry of skew data into the CNC machine.
Current methods of performing a lateral measurement of the work are slow, yield a small number of data points, and are not easily integrated into the CNC machine.